Attention in the Preschool Class

Attention in the Preschool Classroom

by Kimberly Adams

Do the students in your preschool classroom get distracted from what you are saying? Do you need new and creative ways to get your students to pay better attention? Here are some helpful tips for handling your students’ distractions.

Be aware of the attention span of your students. A child’s attention span typically coordinates with his or her age. For example, a four-year-old child will have about a three- or four-minute attention span. Keep this in mind and plan accordingly. In order to keep your students’ attention, change something in the lesson every 3 to 4 minutes. For example, add puppets to the Bible story, introduce a new poster, or have students stand up and move around. Try to alternate active and less active learning experiences.

Get your students active and moving. Rather than reading the story to them, have your students help you teach the story. Have them act out the motions to the Bible story or a song. Or have them call out a certain phrase at a specific time during the lesson. Better learning takes place when a child participates in the lesson.

Make sure you have enough volunteers to help with crowd control. Place volunteers in various places around the room. Is there a group of students who love to talk during the lesson? Have a volunteer sit near them. When that group begins to act up, the volunteer can help them get quiet while you are still teaching the lesson. This saves you from losing your train of thought and the attention of the rest of the class!

Take time to play. Offer some activities that are less structured than others. For example, allow children to choose favorite centers such as clay, blocks, or home living. This gives your children a chance to play and interact with other students. Playing may seem like a waste of time. For your students, though, play is productive. It helps them to deal with situations. They are better able to cope with their fears by acting out imaginary scenarios. Playing also helps students release pent-up energy. Through play, children also learn how to relate to other kids. Be aware of when your students need a break to play.